No Love Lost (Rumbelle AU)

Chapter 10

Belle stepped into her warm living room to see Robert asleep on the couch. Belle removed her coat and threw it on a chair along with her purse. She staggered over to Robert and plopped down on the couch next to him, leaning her head back on the sofa cushions. Robert started snoring obnoxiously.

"Oh, shut up, I know you're awake," Belle said with a small smile.

He snorted and opened his eyes. "Wha--?" he yawned, feigning sleepiness.

Belle giggled as she moved closer to him. They snuggled under a blanket and basked in the warmth of the roaring fireplace.

"How was Kathryn?" Robert asked.

"Fine. I had a lot of fun," Belle said.

"That's good. James was there too?"

"Mhm."

After a moment, Robert looked at her. "That's strange," he commented.
"What?"

"Well, usually when you come home after a night at Kathryn's, you can't stop yammering for a mile a minute. Did something happen?"

Belle smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "No, nothing happened dear."

"Was it James? What did he do?"

"Robert!"

"Sorry."

Belle sighed heavily. Leave it to her husband to suspect every man in town to be after her some way or another. It was flattering, but sometimes she was annoyed by this.

"Honey, nothing happened at Kathryn's tonight," she said.

"Then what's bugging you? I can always tell when something's wrong."

Belle knew she needed to tread lightly on this. She wanted to let Robert know what his grandson could possibly be up to, but Henry was a teenager now. And an irritable one too. She knew what it was like at his age, how the world always seemed to be against you, how no one could possibly understand what you're going through. She knew that if word went back to his mother, or Regina, Henry would take his anger out on her. But she also wanted him out of trouble. And those boys he was associating with were just not the types of friends a young boy should have. It made Belle feel uneasy.

"Um, I saw Henry tonight," she began.

Robert raised a brow. "Oh, really? Where?"

"On the street. With his friends."

Robert shrugged and smiled. "Well glad to know my grandson has a social life, like most kids his age do."

Belle chuckled nervously. "Yes, yes of course. I just didn't expect to see him out this late at night."

Robert's smile waned. "Hm. Right now?"

"Fifteen minutes ago to be exact. And they were making noise and...I don't know Robert. It's a school night, they should be in bed."

Robert laughed. "Is that what's bothering you dearie? Teenage boys being stupid teenage boys? Gosh, you're like his loving mother. It's adorable." He kissed her on the cheek.

"But...wait, you're okay with this?" Belle asked incredulously.

"Well, did you talk to them? Were they doing anything bad?"

"Um...they said they were going to his friend's house."

Robert nodded. "See? Nothing wrong there right?"

"Well...Henry wasn't very polite when I approached him," Belle replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Robert frowned. "What did he say?"